


Forever Love

by dogmaticdeux



Category: the GazettE
Genre: Alternate Universe, Band Fic, Beach Holidays, Beach Sex, Day At The Beach, Domestic Fluff, Eiffel Tower, Established Relationship, Eventual Smut, First Dance, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Hawaii, Honeymoon, M/M, Mild Smut, Ocean Sex, Paris (City), Paris Wedding, Post-Wedding, Romance, Slow Dancing, Smut, Teasing, Wedding Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-16 11:20:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18520426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dogmaticdeux/pseuds/dogmaticdeux
Summary: Aoi still couldn’t believe that Ruki had actually agreed to marry him.





	Forever Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ino_en_blue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ino_en_blue/gifts).



** Forever Love **

_**[moodboard](https://dogmaticdeux.tumblr.com/post/184313885636/moodboard-for-my-fic-forever-love) ** _

 

**[One.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fqnfiwBfIo) **

Aoi took a deep breath to calm his agitated mind. He closed his eyes, feeling the cool summer’s breeze on his face that softly played with the loose strands of his dark hair. The sun tickled his cheeks and nose, and the cheery chatter was like a friendly humming noise in the background. Up here, the warmth of the sun wasn’t as smothering as it had been down below, and he was surely grateful for it. On the contrary, it was almost soothing how the rays caressed his skin as the melancholic music filled his chest with a warm fluttering. He closed his eyes and turned his face upwards to catch some of the sun’s caresses as he sighed contently, but with a hint of nervous quivers.

He started when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head, he opened his eyes to look at Reita, who gave him a big, encouraging smile. “There’s no need to be nervous,” he grinned, fully able to see right through his friend and bandmate. With a wink, he slapped Aoi’s shoulder amicably.

Aoi opened his mouth to object, but didn’t find any words. How could he possibly convey to Reita that nothing in this world had ever made him feel this happy and frightened at the same time? Not even when he had first played on a stage in front of an audience had he ever felt as anxious as he was now, with a dozen faces of friends, acquaintances and family members staring at him. He felt his palms grow sweaty, and glanced around the open space. Everyone was here. His parents, his siblings, all their close friends; they all had come here to celebrate this day.

His gaze lingered on a small furry creature, which seemed almost as agitated as him. Though Aoi supposed the Chihuahua was simply nervous about all the different scents and noises around his most sensitive ears. His sensitive ears which he pricked up, shortly before his head followed the direction. His tail started to wiggle in excited joy. The woman in whose lap he resided turned her head about the same time as Aoi did. At the same time the melancholic melody was replaced by a much softer, happier music. Aoi felt his heart skip a beat, while he barely noticed all the guests scramble to their feet in a haste of breathed ‘ahs’ and ‘ohs’.

There he was, striding down the aisle marked by scattered rose petals in crimson red and snow white, looking more extravagant and more beautiful than Aoi had ever seen. He was wearing a dark red tailcoat made of velvet to an equally dark red vest and a dark grey tie. The hems of the jacket were kept in black, the shirt he wore was as white as the few fluffy clouds scurrying across the sky from time to time. His long dark hair was styled in a messy ponytail with curly strands falling around his beautiful face that the same nervous smile adorned which Aoi felt tug at his own lips. In his hands, he carried a bouquet of white and red roses, his arm was entwined with that of his father, who slowly led him down the aisle; to the position where Aoi stood beneath the arch.

He still couldn’t believe that Ruki had actually agreed to marry him.

He still couldn’t grasp it as he slowly walked up to him, the most beautiful smile on his face. With trembling hands, Aoi reached for his as Ruki’s father placed his hand in Aoi’s, still unable to form a cohesive sentence. He wanted to say so much and yet, he was incapable of saying anything at all. His heart was racing in his chest as he meticulously studied the face of the man he was going to marry in mere minutes.

“You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen,” he finally managed to breathe, tightening his grip on Ruki’s hand.

He beamed even more, and in his grasp, Aoi could feel his hands shake just as much. “Likewise,” he whispered, scrutinizing every inch of Aoi’s body thoroughly.

Aoi almost wanted to shake his head, almost wanted to object. The dark grey three piece suit made of a jacket, a long skirt and a dark red vest accompanied by the dark red tie almost felt like an insult to the beautiful outfit Ruki was wearing. But the glint in his eyes shut him up immediately. So instead, he painted a soft circle on the back of his hand with his thumb. Instead, he focused on how well the colors of their outfits matched; Ruki had seen to it that the colors of Aoi’s outfit would complement his own perfectly – though he hadn’t allowed Aoi to peek at what he had sown together himself. Though in his weaker moments, he had contemplated sneaking a look at what Ruki had been working on, he was now glad that he had resisted the urge each time.

Ruki looked breathtaking.

And as non-superstitious as Aoi was, he truly didn’t want to enter their marriage on the prospect of bad luck.

The clearing of a throat yanked him out of his memories, and they both turned around to face the marriage registrar, who had patiently been waiting for them to get into place and soak each other in. With a shy smile on his lips, Ruki handed the bridal bouquet to Kai, who winked at them and then took his place next to Uruha, behind Ruki.

“We are gathered here today to unite these two people in marriage,” the marriage registrar began with a smooth, gentle voice. “Takanori Matsumoto, Yuu Shiroyama,” he looked at each of them respectively, “Your decision to marry has not been entered into lightly and today you are here to publicly declare your private devotion to each other. The essence of this commitment is the acceptance of each other in entirety, as lover, companion, and friend. A good and balanced relationship is one in which neither person is overpowered nor absorbed by the other, one in which neither person is possessive of the other, one in which both give their love freely and without jealousy. Marriage, ideally, is a sharing of responsibilities, hopes, and dreams. It takes a special effort to grow together, survive hard times, and be loving and unselfish.”

Feeling as though his heart was going to jump out of his chest, Aoi side glanced Ruki. His expression was serious and focused, as though he was taking in each and every word with the highest regard. At that thought, Aoi felt unconditional love surge through him. He, too, would take each and every word, each and every vow seriously; he would keep them in his heart right next to the love he held for Ruki until the day he died. He had known as much the very day he had proposed to him over a year ago, and within that time, his beliefs had only strengthened. As had his love for the other.

“Do you both pledge to share your lives openly with one another, and to speak the truth in love? Do you promise to honor and tenderly care for one another, cherish and encourage each other, stand together, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your lives?” the registrar asked in a seldom tone, though his expression was soft.

They exchanged a quick look; Aoi could read no doubt in Ruki’s beautiful orbs. And so, no doubt filled his heart as he spoke alongside him, “We do.”

The registrar glanced at the book in his hands. “Do you pledge to share your love and the joys of your marriage with all those around you, so that they may learn from your love and be encouraged to grow in their own lives?”

“We do.”

The registrar gave each Uruha and Reita, their best men, a look. They nodded in unison, stepped forward in their matching white suits with the black shirts and red ties (Ruki had made sure all their outfits matched color wise), both taking out a wedding ring each.

“May these rings be blessed as a symbol of your union. As often as either of you look upon these rings, may you not only be reminded of this moment, but also of the vows you have made and the strength of your commitment to each other.” The registrar gave Aoi a nod, and he nervously turned around to take the ring from Reita, who was still grinning widely.

Tenderly, Aoi seized Ruki’s right hand. “You know I’m not as good with words as you are,” he commenced, grimacing slightly but drawing a laugh from Ruki’s lips. “But I knew using the standard vows like the guys suggested would be out of the question.” He had wanted to phrase his own wedding vows, as badly as they would turn out to be. “For you, they needed to be unique. Because that’s what you are, Takanori. You know they won’t be perfect, because you know they’re coming from me, and I’m – as you know – as imperfect as they come. But none of that ever made you shy away from me. You still accept me with all my flaws, my weaknesses and my bad temper. You put up with every single one of my childish tantrums, and you always find it in yourself to forgive me afterwards.” He took a deep breath, gazing into Ruki’s eyes lovingly. As he said those words he had memorized down to the last syllable, he felt as though the world had disappeared around them. All he still saw was Ruki, the most patient and beautiful smile on his lips, flushed cheeks and softest gaze he had ever received. He felt his heart quiver with all the love he felt for this man, and the smile on his own face grew more confident. “Your patience never seems to run out with me, and, aside from your incredible talent, your awe-inspiring visions, your most kind heart and gentle soul, this is probably the thing I love the most about you. You’re everything good about me, you bring out the best in me. You make me be the best version of myself, and I strive to become a bit better each day. For your sake. So I can be the man that deserves your love.”

He saw Ruki press his lips together as tears were shimmering in his eyes, and felt his chest constrict in the most bittersweet way. Ruki always managed to touch him with his words; his speeches, his lyrics – his poetry, really. But to be the one to touch him in return for once filled him with a joy and pride he couldn’t even fathom. “I’m the most imperfect man you’ll ever meet. But you taught me that it’s completely okay to not be perfect. You taught me that it’s okay to be who I am, and the way I am. You once told me I’m perfect the way I am. And while those words mean more to me than you could ever understand, I still want to become _better_. Because God knows you deserve nothing short of perfection. All I want in life is to support and love you unconditionally, as you have always supported and loved me unconditionally. I want to cherish you each and every single day, and I want to share your joy, your pain and sorrow, your humor, your passion and your happiness. I also hope to be a source of the latter for you.

“With this ring, I pledge my life and my love to you.” Timidly, he raised Ruki’s hand to gently slide the wedding ring onto his finger. Then, he placed a soft kiss atop the warm metal.

At his goofy gesture, Ruki uttered a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob. He wiped his cheek as a single tear escaped his eye (which filled Aoi with a weird sense of pride, because Ruki _never_ cried), and took a deep breath to steady himself. He turned around to Uruha to claim the other wedding ring, never letting go of Aoi’s hand as he did so.

“Yuu…” he began, a melancholic smile on his face. “I’ve always found your soul to be as gentle as your name. You know how people say the calm in someone’s eyes hides a storm? With you, it’s always been the other way around. We most certainly agree that you’ve got a bit of a temper,” they both uttered a short laugh, as did everyone else around them, “but I’ve always felt myself get drawn in by that passion of yours. By that storm you’re not afraid to show. You wear your heart on your sleeve, and that’s what I love so much about you. You’re not hard to read, which makes it easy for me to tell which mood you’re currently in. And when to give you space and wait for the storm to calm down. You’re full of emotions, and you share them with the people around you, which I always found admirable. If you’re angry, you let people know they fucked up. If you’re happy, you share your joy with those around you. But there’s also a calm in you. A gentleness you like to hide. That you like to downplay because you mistake it as weakness. Which I assure you, it is not. I think gentleness is the most difficult emotion to keep. We’ve learned fast that the world isn’t very kind when we started out as a band. But you never let that bitterness extinguish that gentle fire in your soul.”

Ruki halted, and laughed quietly. For a moment, Aoi got confused, until he noticed the sticky sensation of salt on his cheeks. He hadn’t even realized that the tears had started to spill from his eyes, he had been too entranced by Ruki’s speech. His words touched the deepest parts of Aoi’s very soul.

“You’re just as patient with me. You always indulge me. Not only by watching horror movies with me even though you absolutely hate them, but by complying to all my extravagant wishes, no matter how ridiculous they are. Even when I told you I wanted a wedding in Paris, on top of the Eiffel Tower.” He paused, and lifted his head. Aoi followed his gaze, watching past the wedding arch and to the grey thick steel beams up above. Then, his gaze followed Ruki’s beyond the railing, beyond the seemingly endless rows of roofs below them. “When I told you I wanted to get married in Paris, you didn’t tell me how crazy I was. Or how expensive and elaborate it’d be. You just told me you’d make it happen. And you did.”

Briefly, his teeth tugged at his bottom lip. “I always shout higher, bigger, farther, and you never complain. On the contrary, you always make sure I get exactly that. Even when the others are already fed up with my last minute changes and new ideas, you always see to it that we make them happen somehow. As a band. But also as a couple. No matter how complicated I get, it’s never too complicated for you. I never felt like any challenge is impossible, not with you by my side. But the challenge called marriage is the one I’m looking forward to the most. The one I’m most excited about. Because I know that no matter which hardships we’ll have to face, we’ll face them together. Because I know that you’ll always be by my side, no matter what. Just like you have been for most of my life.

“I want to be your anchor when your emotions overwhelm you. I want to be the one you come home to, and the one you can confide in unconditionally. I want to help you see that all those insecurities aren’t weaknesses, they’re a part of you that you will never have to hide from me, or be ashamed of. Because I love you for exactly who you are. The same way that you love me for exactly who I am.

“With this ring, I vow to always love you, to always cherish and support you. Come whatever may.” He slid the ring on Aoi’s finger gently, before he lifted his head to look at him. With a loving smile, he raised his right hand to his cheek, and softly dried it with his thumb.

Aoi sniveled to regain his composure, but was still deeply moved by Ruki’s words. By the notion that he held the same love for him that ran just as deep and was just as strong and unwavering. By the notion that in mere seconds that very love would be officially recognized, and they would be united not only in love and spirit, but by law as well. A rush of excitement shook him to the core at that thought.

He got pulled out of their little bubble of intimacy as he heard someone blow their nose. Irritated, he looked around, only to be met by a bunch of crying faces; Ruki’s mother was pressing Koron against her chest as she sobbed into his fur, his own mother was wiping her cheeks, his sister had a tissue pressed against her lips and even his father was crying. Uruha and Kai had the biggest smiles on their lips, meanwhile Reita was a sobbing mess himself, but tried to hide it behind his raised lower arm. Aoi heard himself chuckle quietly. The thought that all these people had come here to celebrate their love with them, and partake in their union filled him with a joy he didn’t know how to express.

The middle-aged registrar had a tender smile on his lips as he gave the guests another minute to calm down and rearrange their emotions. When the sobs had died down, he returned his gaze to Aoi and Ruki. “Go now in peace and live in love, sharing the most precious gifts you have – the gifts of your lives united. And may your days be long on this earth. It is with great joy that I now pronounce you husband and husband.” With that, he closed the book, a soft look on his face as he regarded them. “You may kiss the groom.”

Aoi didn’t have to be told twice. His heart racing to his throat, he bent forward, seizing Ruki by his nape and dipping him over as he united their lips in a most tender kiss. The echo of everyone around them breaking out in excited cheers faded out as he closed his eyes and sank deep in the feeling of their passionate, and yet innocent kiss. As he felt the cool metal around his ring finger take on his body temperature and melt into his skin; as it became a part of him. Just as Ruki had become a part of him, not only now but all those years ago. And still, the realization that he was now lawfully wedded to him took Aoi’s breath away. A swarm of butterflies set loose inside of his stomach, and made his mind go dizzy with unrestrained happiness. He had never wished for anything more than this. He had never wished for anything this much as he had wished to make Ruki his.

And Ruki had agreed to it.

Aoi couldn’t even describe the bliss he felt as they broke free from each other, and as he felt the same emotions displayed in Ruki’s blushed cheeks, his crooked smile, the single tear rolling down his cheek, and the shimmer of unconditional love in his eyes. Biting his lip, Aoi took the sight of him in, gliding his hand from Ruki’s nape to his cheek. Softly, he spread the teardrop on his soft skin, smiling inwardly at the wet feeling beneath his thumb; the palpable evidence of Ruki’s feelings for him. Feeling tears of his own prick at the corners of his eyes again, he bent down to catch Ruki’s lips a second time.

If it were up to him, he could stand here on top of the Eiffel Tower and kiss him endlessly, until they were old and grey.

 

 

“… you should’ve heard the panic in his voice when he realized the jacket wouldn’t fit anymore.” Reita sported a lopsided grin, and the audience burst into laughter.

Aoi, for his part, sank deeper in his seat, cheeks blushed crimson in embarrassment. Why did Reita have to choose that story of all to tell them? Shamefully, he put down the fork, and pushed the dish with the half-eaten wedding cake away. “For the record, it does fit again,” he mumbled, head lowered in shame. As to prove his point, he gripped the hems of said jacket, and buttoned it up for everyone to see. For a moment, he contemplated keeping it that way, but after a few seconds, the heat began to get to him (the breeze from earlier had died down, and it had begun to feel more like a sauna up in here). So he quickly unfastened his buttons again, and took a sip from his champagne.

“Look at Mr. Confident, everyone,” Reita growled with laughter. “He wasn’t that bold when he called me that night, screaming at me how he was unable to button up his jacket anymore. He sounded like he was crying, too!” He grinned widely, then squinted as he received a stab in the side from Uruha’s elbow. However, as Aoi’s best man he seemed to have taken it as his personal duty to embarrass him in front of the whole wedding company. That seemed to be Reita’s interpretation of an “unforgettable day”.

Reita hissed at the request of restraint, and threw a dark side-glance towards his best friend. “I wasn’t done yet! This was only the introduction! The best part’s up next!”

Aoi hid his face in his hand, and groaned. He knew what would come next; but it didn’t make him feel any better. Not in the slightest. If anything, it made his blush grow even deeper. He truly hadn’t meant for Ruki to find out about any of this. It was just plain embarrassing. He didn’t even dare look up to him, instead tilted his head to make his black strands fall into his face and cover even more of it.

“You see, of course our dear Aoi couldn’t admit to having gained a few pounds. I don’t know, I guess he was afraid that Ruki would cancel their wedding or something…”

Aoi flinched at that remark, and no matter his knowledge about Reita’s weird jokes, it still stung deeply. Until Ruki covered his hand with his own, and squeezed it tightly. “I would’ve never,” he whispered, but to his dismay Aoi could hear the amusement in his voice. He had always loved to tease him, and even worse, he shared Reita’s humor. But the worst thing was being exposed to his freshly wed husband like this by one of his closest friends. Uruha hadn’t made such jokes on Ruki’s expenses when he had given his best man’s speech. The more Reita talked, the more convinced Aoi got that _he_ was the one who should have just chosen one of the standard speeches instead of his cruel excesses about Aoi’s dreadful weight crisis only a few months before their wedding day. Maybe he should have asked Kai instead to be his best man; though he wasn’t sure whether that would have amounted to anything less humiliating. After all, their leader was infamous for having a sadistic side to him – Aoi even trusted it to be even more sadistic than the crap Reita was currently pulling.

 _I need more friends,_ he thought sardonically as he intertwined his fingers with Ruki’s, sighing to steel himself for the rest of Reita’s story. There was no way he would get him to shut up; not now that he had promised all the guests the most delicate punchline. Though Aoi felt like his very person (or rather his very personal, very unfunny dilemma) was the punchline itself.

“… anyway,” Reita continued, unimpressed by the picture of misery he had reduced Aoi to, “he was a nervous wreck. Asking me, no – begging me for my help. And the generous friend I am, of course I agreed to help him. So for the next few weeks, he would fib to Ruki, and tell him we were off drinking, when in truth, I hauled his ass to the gym, and played his own personal trainer.”

Aoi rolled his eyes at the faint gasp Ruki uttered, then shook his head in defeat. It hadn’t been unusual for him and Reita to go out and have a drink at night, and while Ruki and him often spent their evenings together, they were by no means a couple that felt the need to spend every waking hour together. They had found out rather soon that they both despised the type of partner that would force them to limit their leisure time to no one but them; they had never been the persons to chain their partner up like that. They had also never been the persons to lie to one another. And while Aoi knew that no harm had been done with his little excuses to hide his actual plans, he did feel guilt wash over him.

He opened his mouth in an attempt to formulate an apology to Ruki, but couldn’t find the right words yet again. Not that Reita left him any room to interrupt his little speech – or rather, walk of shame – again. “So for months, I watched him work his ass off at night twice a week, so he would regain his old shape. No, to get in even better shape than he had been before then.” Aoi could feel a shift in the atmosphere, and glanced up curiously; Reita’s smug grin had disappeared as though someone had blown it out like candle. For a moment, his face was contemplative as his gaze wandered to Ruki, and then back to Aoi. When their eyes met, all humor was gone from his dark orbs. There was nothing but a kind warmth in them, and his lips warped into a soft smile. “For months, I accompanied this man,” he pointed at Aoi with his hand that was holding his cue cards, “through what could’ve only been the biggest torture. Aoi, our Aoi, one of the laziest persons you’d ever meet, even when it comes to practicing the guitar, let alone working out or doing any other kind of sport, put himself through literal hell. I lost count of how many times he collapsed to the floor after another night of working out, or how often tears stood in his eyes at the muscle ache and the exhaustion. And he did it all, all of the torture and all of the efforts, for one man.” Reita put the cue cards down, and raised his glass of champagne instead. “He did all of that for you, Ruki. Because he couldn’t live with the thought of giving you anything short of perfection.” His smile grew and he pivoted his glass, making the golden substance throw slight waves against the glassy walls of its containment. “I dare say you are one lucky man to call him yours. I could give y’all another dozen stories like this one – though slightly less embarrassing for Aoi, and we can’t have that, now can we?” He chuckled, as did the audience, before he grew serious again. “But I mean it. Aoi would walk through fire for you. Make sure to keep him by your side forever.”

Feeling the blood rush into his cheeks, Aoi shifted his gaze down onto the table top. His heart was hammering against his chest, and the dismay over Reita’s little digression had died down completely. Because every one of his last words were the truth. He would walk through fire for Ruki. To hell and back if he demanded as much of him. And all he asked for in return was to be able to hold him; to call him his. To receive his love.

Warm hands cradled his face, and lifted it up. He was met with Ruki’s warm eyes, a timid smile and the faintest trace of tears on his cheeks. His words were directed at Reita, but he was staring right into Aoi’s eyes – right into his soul – when he spoke. “I will.” With that, he bent forward and pressed his lips against Aoi’s, stealing a most surprised and yet most welcome kiss from him. Around them, the guests broke out into yet another round of cheers and applause. Aoi tuned them out as he melted against Ruki’s lips. He could never get enough of him. Of his kisses, his touches, his body, his mind and soul. So long ago, he had captured Aoi’s whole being, and he had never let go of it again.

And Aoi considered himself to be the luckiest man on earth for it.

They were called down from the high of their kiss when the lighthearted music that had been playing for most of dessert time got replaced by soft cords of a piano. They parted, both tilting their heads as the song started off. Their guests, too, noticed the change, and looked around them expectantly. With a delighted smile, Aoi stood from his seat, feeling the last remnants of tension fall off his shoulders. They both knew what these cords meant.

By the contorted expression on Ruki’s face, he could tell how much his newly wed husband dreaded what was up next. With an encouraging hum and a warm fluttering in his stomach (Ruki’s shyness was too damn adorable!), he stretched out his hand and offered it to him. “May I?” He couldn’t suppress the question, and neither could he suppress the chuckle as Ruki’s cheeks beamed in an embarrassed red. Timidly, he seized Aoi’s hand, struggling to his feet rather begrudgingly.

“Hey now, why the long face?” Aoi teased as he led Ruki around the table. “You wanted a traditionally European wedding, and this is _very_ traditional.”

All he got in return was a grunt as Ruki tightened his grip almost painfully around his hand to scold him for his teasing words. Carelessly, Aoi came to a halt in the middle of the rows of tables aligned in a U-shape around them; the guests were keeping a close watch on the pair. Without paying them any mind, he swirled Ruki around, and pulled him into his embrace. He was finally in his element. “Just forget about them, love,” he hummed as he wrapped one arm around his waist and held their other hands up, maintaining a joint grip. “Just look at me. Focus on me.”

Ruki stopped looking around them frantically as though he was searching for an exit, swallowed thickly and nodded. He took a deep breath, and Aoi felt him lean into his embrace. “I hate dancing so much,” he grumbled, and pulled another one of his most adorable faces.

Aoi grinned. He bent forward to peck him on the cheek, then softly began to sway them to the tact of the song. Even though he knew how much Ruki hated dancing (unless they were talking about his more lewdly dances onstage when he was pumped with adrenaline), Aoi had insisted on their wedding dances. He had never been much of a romantic, but if he had to name one romantic gesture, it was sharing a dance with Ruki to the sound of their favorite song by their favorite band.

The song that had played when they had kissed for the very first time.

Swinging them around in a slow circle, Aoi gazed into Ruki’s glazed over eyes, who was caught in the past, reminiscing about it just as Aoi felt memories of his own wash over him.

  
_I can't walk alone anymore;_  
_the winds of time are too strong._

Aoi had known by the shocked expression on Ruki’s face that he had been just as confused as him.

They had been fooling around in that bar, celebrating the close of a successful live tour. Everyone had been drunk off their asses, they had embraced each other, sung with each other, laughed with each other. At one point, Ruki had somehow stumbled into Aoi’s arms on the dance floor. Aoi hadn’t been able to think clearly anymore at that point, and Ruki, who could stomach even less alcohol than the rest of them, had been long gone by then. He had just let Aoi swirl him around while he had giggled, and had wrapped his arms around his neck when the music had changed to a slow, intimate ballad.

They had been so close that very moment, Aoi had been able to feel the warmth of Ruki’s breath caress his own lips. He had felt that weird fluttering in his stomach again. The same fluttering that had befallen him for weeks upon weeks as soon as he so much as glanced at Ruki. He had felt that he quite enjoyed dancing with Ruki; holding him in a tight embrace as they gazed into each other’s eyes while their lips drew nearer steadily.

Until finally, they had met.

As though the last barriers had been blown to smithereens, as though the last restraints had collapsed around them, they had greedily drunken each other in the very second their lips had touched. Aoi had shut off the last meager ounces of thinking as he had pressed his body against Ruki’s, soaking in the feeling of the taste of his lips. The feeling of Ruki’s hands sliding up from his neck to his scalp, where his fingers had entangled with his strands to pull his face closer as he put more drive into their kiss. As the butterflies had seemed to explode in Aoi’s stomach, and his mind had gone dizzy.

He didn’t recall how long their kiss had lasted. He just recalled how suddenly, reason seemed to have caught up with them as they had stumbled apart, gasping and gazing at each other in horror, pure and utter confusion shimmering in their eyes.

He remembered them meeting up the next evening, skiddy and awkward to talk about _the incident_. He remembered Ruki blushing and avoiding his gaze as he had fumbled with the hem of his shirt and his words. As they had tried to make sense of it all. And as Aoi had gazed at his flushed cheeks, realization had hit him. The thought about how utterly beautiful Ruki was hadn’t occurred to him for the first time, but for the first time it had seemed to strike him like a bolt of lightning. He had raised his hand to seize Ruki’s chin and lift his head. He had put his thumb to his lips, silencing him while confusion had stood in Ruki’s eyes. But he had understood that the confusion hadn’t been about what Aoi was doing in that very second, or what they had been doing in that bar the night before. It hadn’t even been a confusion about why it had happened, or how Ruki had _really_ felt about it.

It had been the unspoken uncertainty of how Aoi felt about it. The unspoken uncertainty in his stuttered words that had tried to get them to just forget about the kiss and never mention it again, because it had been “nothing but an accident, right?”

Aoi had realized in that very moment that he couldn’t agree to that. He had been unwilling to brush it off as an accident. Not when he had enjoyed it so much. Not when that simple kiss had made him feel more alive than he had felt in years. But he hadn’t told Ruki any of that. Not in that moment. Instead, he had simply bent forward and had smashed his lips against Ruki’s. And somehow, Ruki had understood. Somehow, he had felt the sensation of Ruki returning the kiss just as eagerly.

He had never felt happier in his life than he had in that very moment, seated on his slightly worn out leather couch, conveying and receiving exactly how they had _truly_ felt about _the incident_.

 

 _Ah, hold my heart_  
_that is still wet._  
_In these times that keep changing_  
_my love doesn't change._

“Do you still remember?” Ruki breathed into his ear as they took another slow turn. His arms had wandered upward to lie around Aoi’s neck as they had done all those years ago for the very first time. “The night we first kissed?”

Aoi smiled. Ruki’s stiffness was slowly fading; he was slowly giving up control, and letting himself be guided by Aoi completely. This form of giving up all of his control, and putting his trust in him blindly always made Aoi’s heart beat incessantly. He had always known Ruki to be a great perfectionist; someone who would personally see to it that things went the way he wanted them to. Scarcely did he ever give up control. But in moments like these, in which he fully entrusted himself to him, felt most heavenly.

Lovingly, Aoi nuzzled the tip of his nose against Ruki’s, which drew a happy giggle from his lips. “I will never forget,” he whispered, pulling him around for another turn. And it was the truth. Whenever this song played, he would reminisce about that incident. About the very instant that had changed both their lives forever. That had, without asking permission nor without a care in the world, entwined their paths, and had bound them together inseparably.

With a smile, Ruki twirled a strand of Aoi’s dark hair around his index finger. “Good,” he said as he gazed at his finger absent-mindedly. He let the strand untangle again, and let it run through his fingers. His gaze didn’t follow the strand as it dropped down and onto Aoi’s shoulder. Instead, he stared at the ring finger of his right hand. At the silver band of metal around it.

Aoi followed his gaze, and removed his left hand from Ruki’s waist. Tenderly, he gripped his right hand, and pulled it towards his lips softly to plant a timid kiss on the ring around Ruki’s finger. Then, he placed another one on the back of his hand. “This is all I’ve ever dreamed of,” he murmured against the soft skin, and kissed his hand again.

Ruki let his hand slip from Aoi’s grip, and cradled his face with it. Seized his chin much like Aoi had done all those years ago in his living room, the night after their first kiss. Pressed his thumb to Aoi’s lips as though he was trying to silence him, even though he wasn’t speaking anymore, too busy with getting lost in Ruki’s eyes and the faint touch against his lips. Softly, Ruki traced his lower lip with his thumb. “Kiss me the way you kissed me that night.”

 

 _Ah, will you stay with me_  
_until the wind passes?_  
_I want you beside me more than anyone._

All too willingly, Aoi complied. All too willingly, he joined their lips in a most passionate kiss as he swirled Ruki around once more to the slow rhythm of the song.

Their song.

He didn’t care about their wedding guests. He had all but forgotten them. Had tuned them out the very moment they had started to move in synch, becoming one as they moved to the sound of the music. He didn’t care that everyone had been watching them from the very start of the dance. He didn’t care that their dance was more intimate than it was traditional. He didn’t care that the kiss they shared was more passionate and elaborate than some people might have cared to witness. He didn’t care about any of it as he moved his lips against Ruki’s, before the tips of their tongues found each other.

He didn’t care about anything or anyone except for the man in his arms. The man that had officially sworn to be his only hours ago. The man he had vowed to spend the rest of his life with. The only person he had ever been able to picture by his side in all his life. The man he wanted to share his life, his dreams, his heart and his soul with for all eternity and beyond.

For once, the air wasn’t filled with the shouts of mocking disgust by Kai and Reita, which they had taken a habit to in order to annoy them whenever they indulged in a moment of intimacy. Instead, whistles of acknowledgement cut through the soft piano cords. Aoi’s eyelids fluttered slightly as he rolled his eyes at them, but he kept them shut to bring his focus back to Ruki and their kiss. He truly didn’t need their childish antics, he thought the very second before his lips turned up into a grin as the whistles grew louder. As though they were kissing for the very first time. As though their friends were encouraging him to put his all into kissing Ruki to ‘show him what he was made of’. Which, of course, was ridiculous since they had been dating for years, but Aoi had long accepted the notion that their friends would use every opportunity to tease them until the bitter end. He had acquiesced to that fate after Reita’s best man’s speech. He didn’t even bother with flipping them off as usual.

Nothing would ruin this moment for him, in which he stood atop the Eiffel Tower, kissing the love of his life to the tunes of the song that had brought them together, and had made them join their hands in marriage this very day.

Unimpressed and uninfluenced by their friends’ teasing antics, their kiss came to a stop. Aoi opened his eyes with a deep breath, reveling in the feeling of Ruki in his arms. Blissfully, he watched as his eyes fluttered open ever so slowly. At his stare, Ruki raised his eyebrow in question. Aoi simply pulled him closely against his body and corrected their swaying to the rhythm of the song. That was answer enough for Ruki’s unspoken question, and the corners of his mouth stretched into a smug grin. “If you’d kissed me like that the very first night, I’d married you on the spot,” he uttered with a teasing pinch to Aoi’s cheek.

“And I thought you’d liked the way I kissed you back then,” Aoi pouted. He tried to keep a straight face but broke out into chuckles only seconds later.

Ruki slapped his chest in mocked displeasure as he rolled his eyes chastising, then joined in on his chuckles. Aoi felt another all too familiar wave of unconditional love flow through him. He lifted both hands from Ruki’s waist to cradle his face, and painted loving patterns on his cheeks with his thumbs. “I love you more than anything,” he said, too quiet for anyone’s ears but Ruki’s to catch.

The most breathtaking smile appeared on Ruki’s face. He placed his hands above Aoi’s, caressing them tenderly before he pulled them from his cheeks. They had stopped moving although the song hadn’t come to a close yet. Still smiling, Ruki brought their joint hands between them, holding Aoi’s tightly in a firm but ginger grip. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, and he drew a deep breath which made Aoi’s heart skip a beat. He tilted his head to the side to listen to the song’s lyrics more intently, and with that most gorgeous smile on his face and the most beautiful voice in the most perfect pitch, loud enough for everyone to hear, he started to sing.

 

 _Forever love, forever dream._  
_In my overflowing tears_  
_until the shining seasons change into eternity._

_  
Forever love._

**[Two.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQWZK5U233s) **

With a groan, Ruki scrunched his nose. He shuddered as a soft, chilly breeze blew over his body, and stirred. Blinking his eyes open with another groan, he was met by the blinding lights of the setting sun. Grumbling, he squinted his eyes, then shifted his gaze away from the burning ball of fire that was slowly drowning in the dark sea. The waves hit the shore in what seemed like a chaste kiss, and even though the sun was almost gone, and the wind had a certain chill to it, it wasn’t cold.

Though partly, that might have been thanks to the unfamiliar piece of fabric wrapped around him. Disoriented, he pushed himself into a sitting position on the big blanket sprawled out on the sandy beach, rubbed his eyes and looked around him once more. Soft tunes were still whispering into his ear, though one ear bud had come loose as he had sat up and was now threatening to slip out of his ear entirely. He hadn’t even noticed how he had drifted off to sleep. Or how Aoi had not only spread a towel over his bare legs but had covered his whole upper body with his shirt as well.

Ruki felt himself blush as he slipped into the sleeves of Aoi’s (terribly traditional) Hawaiian shirt with the bright orange flowers on dark blue fabric. He would have never worn something like this voluntarily, and had only allowed Aoi as much since they had only taken a short trip down to the beach from their bungalow. But right now, Ruki was grateful for the fashionable atrocity that had kept him cozy during his slumber. He wasn’t surprised that he had dozed off in the slightest; the excitement from their wedding day and the jet lag from their flight to Hawaii for their honeymoon had been certain to do him in at one point.

Creaking his stiff joints as he searched the beach for any sight of his newly wed husband (at the thought, butterflies fluttered through his stomach – they had truly gotten married!), his hand felt around for his phone blindly. With a frown edged into his forehead, he tugged his knees up under his chin, then lowered his gaze onto the display. Maybe Aoi had gone up to the bungalow to get something; he didn’t think he would have just left him here all by himself for far too long, no matter that this was a private beach with no one else around but them. At least that was what Ruki hoped for – for Aoi’s sake. If it turned out that he had indeed left him behind, he would smack him over the head.

With an incredulous sigh, he shook his head, then smiled. In terms of a more chaotic nature, one of them was as bad as the other. Which might have been why they fit together so well. Aoi could get just as scatter-brained as Ruki, or get into one of his overdone teasing moods, and leave him behind on his own at the beach. Though right now, as the breeze was playing with the unkempt strands of his dark hair, and the last rays of sunlight licked at the crowns of the waves, Ruki didn’t mind either way. Instead, he kept scrolling through his media player until he had finally found the song he had been craving to listen to. His thumb hit play, and with a content smile, he closed his eyes and started humming along to the song as his body swayed to the sides softly.

 

 _I'm trying to hold my breath_  
_Let it stay this way_  
_Can't let this moment end_

  
_You set off a dream in me_  
_Getting louder now_  
_Can you hear it echoing?_

He had always loved the song. He had always loved getting lost in the beautifully haunting melody, and the breathtaking voice that made goosebumps break out all over his arms. And if he was being honest, then he might have even liked dancing to the tunes of that very song, still watched by all their wedding guests as Aoi had led him through their second wedding dance. Perhaps, he had even felt light-footed as they had swirled around to the melody in a slow waltz, completely usurped in each other’s company. And while he knew that this song had been his wish alone, he had been able to read in Aoi’s eyes just how much he had enjoyed the moment as well.

The knowledge that he had agreed to Ruki’s wish for their second song meant the world to him. The fact that he had made his dream wedding in Paris on top of the Eiffel Tower come true meant more to him than he could ever put into words. No matter his wishes, Aoi always complied. Aoi always tried his best and his hardest to make him happy, to give him exactly what he wanted. And Ruki knew just how lucky he was to call this man his. He knew just how fortunate he was to have Aoi love him of all people. To have asked him of all people to marry him, and spend the rest of their lives together.

Ruki had never openly admitted as much, but the song had always reminded him of Aoi. It had always reminded him of how much he loved that man. Of how much he meant to him. And while he had always been one to express his feelings through the music, he had never confessed to Aoi how he was the reason why Ruki loved this song so much. Or how he always pictured him when he listened to it. As he did right now, as his eyes were closed and his lips moved on their own accord, singing along to the lines he knew by heart.

 

 _Take my hand_  
_Will you share this with me?_  
_'Cause darling without you_

He squealed in terror when a set of arms wrapped around his waist from behind. His eyes shot open, his heart began to race so rapidly he could swear it was going to jump right out of his chest. His head jerked to the side, and one ear bud got yanked out of his ear.

Behind him, Aoi was smugly grinning at him. “Surprise!” he laughed, thereby pressing a kiss to Ruki’s cheek.

However, Ruki truly wasn’t in a cuddly mood after Aoi’s stunt. “You scared me, you idiot!” he yelled at him in pounding frustration, trying to wriggle out of his embrace as he took the other ear piece out as well. “I nearly suffered a heart attack!” He boxed against Aoi’s tattooed shoulder to vent his frustration, then took a deep breath to try and calm his hammering heart.

Completely unfazed, Aoi turned his head and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. “You listenin’ to that song again?” he mumbled against his shoulder, meanwhile his hands slid across Ruki’s tummy. “You ever get tired of it?”

“Shuddup!” Ruki growled, trying to bend sideways to evade Aoi’s lips and roaming hands. He was still pissed at him, so he truly didn’t want to deal with his caresses which sneakily tried to regain his good faith by tender displays of affection. “I don’t need to hear that from you of all people!” he mumbled in displeasure. After all, Aoi was the one always listening to songs he grew obsessed with on end until Ruki was about to go crazy. He could sing along to more songs than he cared to admit – for the sole reason of Aoi playing them in endless loops for weeks.

Aoi stopped pressing kisses to his shoulder, and looked up to him. A pout (that was threatening to melt Ruki to a puddle as usual – _goddamn it!_ ) adorned his face. “First you take a nap without me and now you’re being all grumpy,” he grumbled like a little child. His pout grew in intensity, before he opened his lips to blow against a stray strand of Ruki’s.

Rolling his eyes, Ruki nudged him in the side. “Your point being…?” He already knew what Aoi was going to say. And Aoi knew that he knew. Although he was still playing the role of the greatly annoyed, Ruki could feel sparks of joy warm up his stomach. He loved when Aoi got needy like this, he couldn’t deny it. It made him feel incredibly wanted, incredibly needed. Incredibly and incomprehensively loved.

“Give your husband some attention as well!” Aoi whined in a perfect pitch of the melodramatics. “We’re on our honeymoon. Our _h-o-n-e-y-m-o-o-n-_!”

Not satisfied yet, Ruki stuck out his tongue. “So what? You’re the one who left me all alone at the beach. What if someone else would’ve snatched me up and kidnapped me? On our _h-o-n-e-y-m-o-o-n-_!” he mimicked Aoi’s nagging tone of voice, then pulled a pout of his own.

“It’s not like they would’ve seen you! You’re far too small beneath that towel, they would’ve completely overlooked you!” Aoi objected, his tone nagging still.

“Excuse me?!”

“Or they would’ve returned you to me immediately. They would’ve probably not even made it to their shabby kidnapping van before you’d gotten on their nerves and they’d just dropped you and ran off.”

 _“Oh, that does it, asshole!”_ With an angry shout, Ruki launched himself at Aoi’s taller body. His fists pounded against his naked chest in a fit of hurt pride, and he hammered and pushed away at him in hopes of overpowering him.

However, those hours in the gym (a most mouth-watering fantasy) must have really paid off, because Aoi had no trouble bracing himself against Ruki’s wrath, and keeping an upright position as he did. To Ruki’s biggest dismay, he just burst into ringing laughter as he played right into his hands. Each and every of his words had been deliberate and well thought of – Aoi knew exactly how to push his buttons and hit him where it really smarted. His size and his persistence (or, tendency to be a pain in the ass, as some people might have phrased it) weren’t the most favorable of his treats, Ruki knew as much. So did Aoi. And he loved to tease him with it.

The worst part was that Ruki was giving him exactly what he wanted.

As always, he had fallen for his bait, and instead of punishing him (really punishing him, not throwing punches that must have tickled him at best), he was basically showering him with the attention he had craved so much.

It got even more humiliating when Aoi stood, seized him below his arms, picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. Still laughing his ass off, he strode towards the ocean, Ruki flung over his shoulder as though he was nothing more than a fly weight. “My my, you sure are a hot-head,” he giggled. “I think you might need to cool down.”

Gasping, Ruki tried to wriggle free of his tight embrace. “Don’t you dare!” He hit Aoi’s back with his fists, but he just continued to shake with laughter. “Put me down immediately. Yuu, I swear to God, I’ll make you regret this if you don’t put me down _right now_!”

The closer they got to the water, the more the anger in his voice died down and got replaced by trepidation. His shouts warped into a whimper, his words into desperate pleas. “Please Yuu, I’m begging you. Please let me down, baby, please!” He so wasn’t planning on taking a bath in the ocean after sunset. His whole body shivered just thinking about it.

Aoi simply ignored his pleas. Somehow, he managed to pull off his shirt Ruki was still wearing, and dumped it onto the sand. A few more steps, and Ruki saw the water spread out down below. Mobilizing all of his strength, he tried to break free once more, but Aoi’s grip was resolute.

Until he was hip-deep in water, that was.

Somehow, Ruki had managed to keep both feet and arms held up high to avoid any contact with the sea, but when Aoi stopped walking, he knew that doom was upon him. With a smirk, Aoi lifted him up, and threw him into the waves.

Squealing like a frightened child, Ruki dipped in. He waited for the shock of the cold water to wash over him, but to his surprise, the waves clashed over him in a lukewarm curtain. Quickly, he brought his feet beneath his upper body, stemmed them into the soft ocean floor, and pushed himself upward.

Wheezing, he burst through the surface, gasping for air. As soon as he broke through, he caught the sound of Aoi’s laughter. With a groan, he cleared his strands out of his face, and squinted his eyes at him. “You’re gonna pay for this, jerk!” With cheeks blushed in embarrassment, he hit the water surface with the palm of his hand, spraying water in Aoi’s direction. When drops of it hit his face, Ruki smirked triumphantly.

“Oi, you’re playing with fire!” Aoi growled threateningly, before he darted forward, and locked his arms around Ruki’s waist to hold him in place and keep him from escaping.

Giggling happily, Ruki wriggled around in his embrace, feeling his heart flutter and warmth creep into his cheeks. He was so _goddamn happy_. While others would have risked their necks with teasing like that, it made his heart beat faster coming from Aoi. It made his cheeks flush and his stomach prickle with joy. He loved it. He loved Aoi. He loved him so much, he could barely fathom it sometimes. He could fathom even less that they had married only a few days ago. That they were truly here, in Hawaii, for their honeymoon. That being teased for his height and being thrown into the ocean made him smile like the biggest moron on the planet. While he could barely fathom all of that, what he could grasp very well was the reality of that unconditional happiness he felt, even in the most childish of moments. Just as long as he shared each and every one of them with Aoi.

Aoi’s grunt yanked him out of his blissful thoughts and back into reality. “Taka, stop.”

There was a glum urgency to his voice that made Ruki shiver. He looked up to him questioningly, and the dark glimmer in Aoi’s eyes made him shudder all over. Seconds later, he _felt_ the reason for Aoi’s request. Felt it press against his hipbone very clear and very _hard_. All his wriggling must have excited him. Oh and how it must have excited him.

“My my,” Ruki whispered, feeling a surge of want shoot through him at the sensation of Aoi’s erection pressed against him. He moved his hips a bit, rubbing his hipbone against Aoi’s groin more deliberately. “Looks like _you’re_ the one who needs to cool down.” Though he could feel his own dick stir at the touch and the low moan Aoi uttered at the friction.

“Shut up!” With that, Aoi’s lips were taking possession of his, greedily taking him in and swallowing him up. His body reacted on instinct. He felt himself melt against Aoi’s lips, and sighed into the kiss happily. Hungrily, their lips moved against each other, sparking uncontrollable desire inside of him. He was addicted to Aoi, always had been. And when he finally got what he craved, he could never get enough.

He moaned into the kiss as Aoi’s hands started to roam his body, leaving a trail of goosebumps wherever they went. The moan got stifled by Aoi’s tongue pushing into his cavity, tasting and seeking around for Ruki’s tongue to share a passionate dance. Needy, his hands shot up to Aoi’s face, cradling his cheeks, and he felt the warmth in them just as his own cheeks burned with heat. His fingertips wandered over Aoi’s cheeks, traced the outline of his cheekbones, his nose, his jaw. No matter how often he touched him, he could never get enough. No matter how often he ran his fingers through Aoi’s dark strands, it would never be enough. Desperate for more, he tugged at the strands, pulling Aoi’s face closer to deepen their kiss, to drive his tongue further into his mouth.

He gasped when Aoi’s hands roamed his chest, and his thumbs started to rub over his nipples frantically. Ruki threw his head back to push out a moan, then bit on his lower lip as the pleasure sent pulsing throbs through his cock. “More…” he gasped, his eyes shut tight to take in as much of the pleasure as possible.

He almost screamed when Aoi complied. He lowered his head to take one of Ruki’s nipples between his teeth. He softly nibbled at the bud, before he circled the tongue around it as it grew hard. He sucked it in between his lips, which was enough to drive Ruki crazy. However, he whimpered in ecstasy when he felt Aoi push his hand beneath the waistband of his swimming trunks, and wrapped his fingers around Ruki’s swelling cock. In a slow and expertise movement, he flicked his wrist and pumped his erection, riling him up steadily until he grew harder and harder.

“Oh _God-_!” Ruki moaned, burying his face in the crook of Aoi’s neck. He jerked his hips forward to fuck into Aoi’s hand, who pushed out a deliberate moan at that to reward him. His lips glided to his other bud to bestow the same treatment upon it, and Aoi’s other hand slid into Ruki’s pants as well to fumble with his balls. He felt tears of pleasure shoot into his eyes as Aoi’s fingertips grazed his sensitive skin, and buried his fingernails in the flesh of Aoi’s shoulder blades as he tried to ground himself.

His breath caught in his throat when Aoi pushed his pants down with one hand to free Ruki’s cock, and he sighed upon the relief. He wriggled his hips to have his pants slide down further, and get the troublesome fabric out of the way, so Aoi could gain better access.

However, peace did not hold for long. Mere seconds later, Aoi’s index finger traced a stimulating path from his balls to his cleft, and with the lick of his lips, he ran his finger along the cleft. “Do you want me to dig in, baby?” he breathed into Ruki’s ear as he circled the entrance to tease him. Unable to form any cohesive phrases, Ruki nodded hastily. With a content smile, Aoi traced his cleft once more, pumped his cock with his other hand once more, before he pushed his index finger inside slightly. At the overwhelming sensation of pleasure, Ruki’s mind went dizzy. “I’ll need you to spread your legs a bit more for me, baby,” he husked as he moved the tip of his finger in and out of Ruki.

Obediently, Ruki lifted one leg to push out of his trunks, then had the other one follow suit. He didn’t even spare a fleeting thought to his pants. All he was still able to think about was the burning sensation of Aoi’s finger sliding in deeper.

His perception blurred as Aoi’s fingers started to get to work, stretching and preparing him. Fucking him. All Ruki still felt were the moans tumbling from his lips as he focused on the feeling of Aoi’s fingers thrusting into him. More than once, a scream of pleasure broke over his lips.

He was a trembling mess by the time Aoi seized his thighs just above the back of his knees, and lifted him onto his hips. He hadn’t even noticed him pulling down his own pants slightly to reveal his cock. Ruki whimpered when he felt him push inside, and he wrapped his arms around Aoi’s neck to steady himself. This certainly wasn’t the first time they were having sex. The first time that Aoi penetrated him. And yet, Ruki had found that ever since their wedding night, everything felt even more intimate. More intense. More overwhelming.

Groaning, Aoi started to thrust into him slowly, trying to keep his balance on the maverick ocean floor. The waves were slapping against their stomachs, swallowing every sound that wasn’t their moans or the rushing of the water around them. Ruki began to roll his hips forward to grind down on Aoi’s cock that was filling him up to the shaft, and that was making him feel whole. _Complete_. He turned his head to the side in search for Aoi’s lips.

Just when he had found them, had faintly brushed against them, he felt Aoi curse as he lost his footing. They swayed for a moment, and Aoi pressed out a groan when Ruki cramped around him on instinct. “This won’t do,” he hissed, and it was with pity that Ruki noticed the stop of his thrusts. He was half expecting Aoi to pull out and tell him to postpone their little adventure, but instead, he adjusted Ruki’s weight on his hips, and started walking.

Still caught in a daze, Ruki simply clung to him as Aoi carried him back ashore. There, in shallow waters, he came to a standstill. Slowly, so they wouldn’t topple over, he sank to his knees, and bedded Ruki on the wet shore. He shivered when the moist sand hit his back, and shivered again when a wave flowed around his pelvis; but that was as far as the water levels would go.

Content, Aoi shifted atop of him; his right hand wandered alongside Ruki’s thigh all the way down to the back of his knee, his fingernails painted pleasurable paths on his skin. When it had reached its destination, he pulled Ruki’s leg upward and draped it over his shoulder. Ruki gasped as Aoi’s hard cock slid in even deeper, and he pressed out his name when the tip of it grazed his prostate.

“That’s right, baby,” Aoi whispered into his ear as he commenced where he had left off, “I’m gonna make you scream my name.” Without as much as a warning, he picked up the pace, thrusting into Ruki relentlessly. He wrapped his right leg around Aoi’s waist as tightly as possible, a mixture of a grunt and a moan escaping his throat. He couldn’t say that the position he was currently in was the most comfortable one between one of his legs spread upward and his back slamming into the sand, but the way in which Aoi pounded into him as the waves surrounded them still made his toes curl and his lips warp into a string of moans.

Their sex had always felt incredible. It had always transcended the physical plain. Ruki’s eyes shot open, staring up into the starry night sky as their bodies moved against each other harmoniously in the silvery moonlight. Aoi’s groans filled his ears, sending pleasant shivers down his spine, and right into his cock. But his body was never the only thing that got shaken when they slept together; it was his whole soul that quivered, that longed for this most intimate connection of their bodies with every fiber. That trembled when Aoi touched his most sensitive spot. At the same time, he also touched his most private point, his most intimate and well-guarded place.

His heart.

They had always shared a deep connection; even before they had started to discover their feelings for each other. And as the years passed by, that connection had steadily flourished and grown. Until at last, they had fastened that connection by the bond of marriage. And now, that connection was there for all the world to see – through their matching wedding rings, through their matching surname. But it was when their bodies united as one that Ruki had always been able to feel that connection the most. When every part of their beings moved in synch: their bodies, their lips against each other, their desires, the rhythm of their heartbeats.

In these moments, they truly became one.

Ruki felt a single tear escape his eye, and he let his hand drop to the ground as he kept melting against Aoi’s lips. His hand wandered downward, next to his hipbone, where he could feel the imprint of Aoi’s hand on his flesh. Tenderly, he seized his hand, and pried it away from his hip. He pulled it upward and laid it to rest right next to his head. Compliantly, Aoi entwined his fingers with Ruki’s, brushing against his wedding ring as he did so.

They maintained their grip on each other’s hand as Aoi pushed him over the edge into the sea of bliss as waves engulfed them tenderly. Drowning in an ocean of ecstasy, he felt Aoi’s seed fill him up, and he threw his head to the side to scream out his name at the sensation. At the same time, Aoi grunted his name against his neck, before he bit down on his shoulder as he rode out his orgasm inside of Ruki.

Finally, they slumped together in exhaustion.

Panting loudly, Ruki turned his pelvis to the left, and bit his lower lip as a stinging pain shot through his hip. He let his leg slip from Aoi’s shoulder and sighed in relief as it hit the wet sand below. Like a cure for his ailments, the waves began to lick at his leg, soothing the uncomfortable stinging immediately. At the notion of how much their sex still exerted him, he smiled. Feeling his whole body tremble in the aftermath of bliss, he raised his hand and let Aoi’s strands run through his fingers. He tilted his head to the side, pressing placid kisses against Aoi’s temple. “I love you,” he heard himself murmur, “I love you so fucking much, baby.”

Still spent, Aoi simply grunted as he remained atop of him. However, he did squeeze Ruki’s hand he was still holding in the affirmative. Ruki’s smile grew wider. “I can’t believe we truly just had sex on the beach.” While they had been quite adventurous in their little games, counting things like showers, bathtubs and even a whirlpool once or twice, they had never actually gotten around to sleeping with each other at the beach.

For a moment, silence spread between them, with nothing but the faint rushing of the water audible. Then, Ruki started to giggle. “Sex on the beach.” He didn’t even know why or how, but the next second he found himself erupting with laughter. “If only there was a cocktail bar around so we could get some more Sex on the Beach,” he burst out, his body vibrating with laughter.

With a groan of disbelief, Aoi pushed himself up. “Did you swallow salt water or something?” he moaned, pulling a face as he looked at his grin.

Instead of an answer, Ruki just kept laughing away. “I… can’t… help it…” he panted, trying to catch his breath. At Aoi’s raised eyebrow, he lost his composure again, and pushed out another string of giggles. He didn’t even notice how his muscles cramped up, or how Aoi hissed at the new stimulation.

“Moron,” Aoi grumbled, but after a shake of his head, a grin spread on his face. “See, that’s what I meant! Your kidnappers would’ve dropped you off at the next intersection!” The teasing grin quickly warped into a genuine smile as he watched Ruki laugh. His teeth tugged on his lower lip, and he caressed Ruki’s forehead, tucking away a strand behind his ear. His thumb came to rest on his cheek, and he brushed it in circles, all the while he stared deeply into Ruki’s eyes.

That finally shut him up, and swallowed his giggles. Huffing and puffing from his fit of laughter, he mutely returned Aoi’s gaze. In the pale, silvery moonlight, his eyes shone like polished obsidian. Mesmerized, Ruki lifted his free hand to Aoi’s cheek. With his thumb, he caressed his plush lower lip. Even though he was used to Aoi’s beauty by now, he always found himself overwhelmed by it again. Just as he had been when he had first seen him below that wedding arch on the day of their wedding, more handsome than ever in his dark three-piece suit. But his beauty wasn’t the only thing that overwhelmed him from time to time. “I’m just so incredibly happy,” he murmured. He bit down on his lower lip, and turned his head to look at their joint hands. He lifted them up until the wedding ring on his right ring finger became visible. He brought his left hand to Aoi’s face, and caressed it softly.

Aoi turned his head to bury his mouth in the palm of Ruki’s hand, and pressed a gentle kiss into it. “I know. Me too.” When he lifted his head, the most breathtaking smile had taken possession of his lips. “I couldn’t imagine ever loving anyone else. Or marrying them.” His voice was somber, his words were sincere. His eyes shone with a darkness Ruki didn’t like.

“Good thing you don’t have to worry about any of that anymore, then,” he whispered, thereby lifting Aoi’s chin up with his fingertips. He knew that Aoi was prone to melancholy, and each time he witnessed it, he felt his heart contract in a bittersweet pain.

For a split second, the glum look remained on Aoi’s face. Then, his gaze shifted to his own wedding ring on his own hand, before it returned to Ruki’s face. When it did, the smile had returned as well. “Lucky me.” He bent down, and united their lips in the most tender kiss that made Ruki’s heart flutter like the wings of a hummingbird, fast and light.

With a smile, Aoi released his lips. He gave Ruki free, pushed onto his knees and pulled his trunks up again properly. Then, he looked around the shore for Ruki’s. Miraculously, they had been washed ashore not too far from them. With a relieved sigh (Ruki would have torn him a new one if they had been lost by the ocean), he retrieved them, and dressed him up again.

Too tired to recall that he had laid the fate of his own trunks in the hands (or rather waves) of the ocean, much less think about scolding Aoi for initiating the events that had almost led up to him losing his trunks, Ruki just leant back and let himself be taken care of. Normally, he loved being in control of things. He loved to take care of everything himself, to ensure that everything was done the way he wanted it to be done. He had personally overseen every detail of their wedding, as well as their planned honeymoon trip to Hawaii. But in some moments, he truly didn’t mind letting Aoi spoil him, and just take care of him. He trusted him blindly, and it was with Aoi that he had learned how to properly let go for the first time. How to hand the reins over to someone else and to trust them with himself.

He stifled a yawn as he felt a heavy sleepiness wash over him. Now that the bliss had subsided, he could feel his aching back and legs from their little adventure. More than willingly, he let Aoi scoop him up in his arms, and carry him up the beach. With a content hum, he dropped his head onto Aoi’s shoulder, taking in the warmth of his body as his own began to shudder from the chill.

Aoi, who felt his shivers, put him down on the blanket briefly. He dressed Ruki in his shirt again (which he hadn’t even noticed Aoi pick up), and then wrapped their towels around his shoulders as well. He picked up his phone, lifted Ruki up in his arms again, and lastly somehow even managed to pick up the blanket without dropping him or toppling over.

In a sleepy daze, Ruki _felt_ Aoi carry him up to the bungalow more than he actively noticed it. He felt him carry him over the threshold, whereas he planted a kiss to Ruki’s temple – he had taken up the habit of doing that whenever they passed a threshold ever since they had gotten married the other day. His stomach fluttered at the notion, and he snuggled up to him even more closely.

He felt Aoi put him down on the lid of the toilet seat, dry him up and dress him in comfy clothes. The tight leggings stuck to his legs due to the salt from the ocean, and he heard Aoi curse more than once. Ruki just grinned to himself as he dropped his head onto Aoi’s shoulder – complicating matters without even realizing it. But Aoi didn’t complain. Instead, he pulled a shirt over his head that felt way too big for Ruki. He sighed, breathing in Aoi’s scent, and snuggled into the shirt. He loved wearing Aoi’s shirts – they were all so big and comfy and warm. And most of all, they smelled like him.

Like a toddler, he stretched out his arms, barely leaving Aoi time to get himself dressed. With a chuckle, he picked him back up. “C’mere, Ru-chan.” His cheeks flushed at the pet name that Aoi would use whenever he meant to express how cute Ruki was being in a particular situation. If he had been awake he would have scolded Aoi, would have loudly protested and told him how he wasn’t cute in the slightest, thank you very much.

In his drowsy state, however, Ruki didn’t give a damn. On the contrary, he quite enjoyed the warm fluttering in his stomach that warmed him up from the inside. He just smiled tiredly against the crook of Aoi’s neck. “Hmmmm,” he hummed affirmatively (whether he was acknowledging the nickname or welcoming the warmth, he couldn’t say even if he had wanted to). He sighed happily as he felt Aoi’s lips brush against his forehead. “You always know how to take care of me.” He felt intoxicated as he spoke, his tongue seemed as heavy as lead. Though the heaviness stemmed from his sleepy demeanor, the intoxicating tingling most certainly contained all of his feelings for Aoi. He wanted to say as much, but all he could do was scrunch his nose and bury his face deeper in the crook of Aoi’s neck. He was simply too tired to talk.

Aoi chuckled again. “Of course. What kinda husband would I be if I didn’t know how to properly take care of you?” He kissed his forehead again, then the top of his head.

Ruki blinked sleepily as an orange warmth engulfed his face. With sleepy eyes, he stared into the burning coziness of the fire place in the living room of their bungalow. “You did this for me?” he murmured half asleep. He could faintly recall that the fireplace hadn’t been lit when they had left for the beach. Which meant Aoi must have started the fire when he had left Ruki to himself earlier.

“Anything for you, love.”

Drowsily, Ruki smiled. The nap earlier had hardly helped him recharge; he still felt drained and tired. No wonder he was slipping off into dreamland this early. But he couldn’t help it, and if he was being honest, he didn’t want to, either. It was far too nice to be snuggled up to Aoi like that – his husband. The smile cut deep into his cheeks at the thought. Aoi truly was his husband. Happily, he nuzzled his face into his neck. “I love you,” he mumbled sluggishly.

Aoi didn’t say anything. Ruki felt the motion as he sat down on the couch, and with a content sigh, Aoi spread out on the upholstery, taking Ruki with him as he leaned back. Finding himself curled up to him like that, Ruki snuggled more closely against him with a satisfied hum. He could have stayed like this for the rest of their lives and not grow tired of it. He opened his mouth, trying to say as much, but the words got lost when he felt Aoi shove something into his left ear. Seconds later, soft tunes started playing, quietly lulling him into a deep slumber. The last thing he noticed was how Aoi’s chest began to vibrate, and his warm breath tickling his right ear as he joined in with the song. To his surprise, Aoi could recite the lyrics perfectly as he returned his declaration of love with the whispered words of the sweet music.

 

_'Cause darling without you_

_All the shine of a thousand spotlights_  
_All the stars we steal from the night sky_  
_Will never be enough_  
_Never be enough_  
_Towers of gold are still too little_  
_These hands could hold the world but it'll_  
_Never be enough_

_Never be enough_

_For me_

 

**T H E  E N D**

**Author's Note:**

> My dear Ino,
> 
> although we came upon this topic spontaneously, I knew immediately that I would use all these ideas we gathered to turn this into a fic. Not just any fic, but a fic for your birthday. A fic for you. With all the tropes that you (hopefully) enjoy and love. I gave it my all to make this fic happen, and to have it ready on your birthday. I can't believe I actually managed it. All the while I just wanted to scream to you about it already, but I couldn't. Because I wanted to keep this a secret from you (I hope I succeeded) to surprise you.
> 
> What can I say... this fic is my way of saying thank you. Thank you for being such an amazing and loyal friend. Thank you for always being there for me, and for supporting me. Thank you for lending me your ear, your time and your thoughts whenever I come to you with another one of my countless problems. Thank you for your patience, and your kindness. I'm a very frustrating person to deal with a times, I can imagine as much. And still you always offer up your support unconditionally. You've grown into one of the best and closest friends I never even imagined I'd have the fortune of meeting.
> 
> So, thank you for being my friend.
> 
> I love you tons, I love talking to you about anything and everything. I love fangirling with you, I love talking about Aoiki headcanons and writing with you. I love being able to share my interests with you, even those you don't share. I also love and cherish our deeper, more heartfelt conversations. I love being there for you and supporting you, which I hope I don't suck at as much as I feel like sometimes. I can be selfish or self-centered at times, but I want to try and give back just as much as I take. Because you're really extremely important to me.
> 
> I can't wait to meet you finally in June, I can't wait to hang out with you and to attend my first Gazette live with you! I can't wait for endless more chatter of ours, and I hope we'll always keep going the way we have been thus far with our friendship.
> 
> I think it's best if I stop here now, because I'm seconds away from crying ahahaha.
> 
> Again, thank you for being my friend. Thank you for existing, and for being you.
> 
> Joyeux anniversaire ! I wish you the best on your special day!
> 
>  
> 
> * * *
> 
> Yes yes, sorry, I do have to make some general remarks about this as well. Well, not many lol but please bear with me. First, I wanted to note that I took the words from the marriage registrar from the internet LOL since even if I had somehow been able to memorize the words they used at my dad's wedding last year, it would've not been nearly as fitting as this.
> 
> Second, the translation to Forever Love I found [here](https://musicbox-trans.livejournal.com/147137.html), so please forgive me if they're inacurrate, they're obviously not mine since my Japanese sucks ass. Also, Ino, I hope you're okay with this song lol. I was kinda despairing because Alive didn't quite fit the vibe I was looking for, and then Milo (bless you, dear) suggested this song to me and it just fit. Sadly, part one was finished only hours before you brought up Never Enough OTL so I tried my best to incorporate both songs, ahhh I hope you'll like it nevertheless. And let me tell you, sex in the ocean is a REAL challenge to write. I might've cheated a bit heh, forgive me.
> 
> Also sorry for the meager tags but I didn't want to spoil too much before Ino (or anyone else) had actually read as much as the first sentence lol


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